Chloe Madeley has spoken about the ‘utter fear’ she felt when she struggled to conceive with husband James Haskell.
The fitness guru, 34, announced she was pregnant with her husband, 36, last month and is expecting a baby girl this summer.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, Chloe revealed the couple were on the verge of considering IVF and adoption before unexpectedly falling pregnant at the end of last year.
Expecting: Chloe Madeley has spoken about the ‘utter fear’ she felt when she struggled to conceive with husband James Haskell – the couple are expecting a baby girl this summer (pictured on March 15 at Cheltenham)
Chloe explained that she hadn’t felt the desperate urge to have children until she began to experience fertility problems. ‘I find it quite amusing when people assume that all women, everywhere, want to be a mother, because it’s really complicated,’ she said.
The couple decided to start trying for a baby after James’ stint on I’m A Celebrity in 2019 but after months of trying she began to feel nervous.
‘We picked up the pace in terms of trying and that nervousness turned into utter fear,’ she said. ‘Like, ‘Hang on, I don’t want this option taken away from me.’ I woke up in the middle of the night and it hit me like a ton of bricks. And that pushed me into making a decision and that I absolutely wanted to have a family.’
Mumma to be: Chloe explained that she hadn’t felt the desperate urge to have children until she began to experience fertility problems (pictured at 20 weeks pregnant)
After a series of tests it was determined that there were no issues with the couple’s fertility, but they started to consider IVF. Chloe admitted she felt ‘very lucky’ they didn’t have to undergo IVF but said it was ‘a really sad few months where I was scared it wouldn’t happen for me’.
James added that while he was open to starting a family he didn’t experience the same feelings of pressure as his wife.
‘I don’t have that same clock ticking, or society’s perception of that clock,’ he told the magazine. ‘But does [having children] define me? No. I think people who try to have children to make their life better are almost on a path to failure, as it shouldn’t define you.’
Chloe recently displayed her growing baby bump in a new Instagram snap as she revealed that she had reached the halfway stage of her pregnancy.
Exciting times: Chloe has said her mum Judy Finnigan is so excited for her granddaughter
The candid post also saw the fitness expert detail how her pregnancy has affected her fitness training, with Chloe explained how she’s adapted her routine according to how her body feels.
She began her lengthy caption by declaring a trigger warning on her pregnancy post before writing: ’20 weeks today, half way.
‘Thought I’d do a little post answering some of the questions I’ve been getting from clients and followers about training during my pregnancy:
‘Have I changed my training since becoming pregnant? Yes.
‘In my first trimester, I tried so hard to keep walking the dog every day and to keep up with my weekly gym sessions (4-5 PW).
Tough time: James added that while he was open to starting a family he didn’t experience the same feelings of pressure as his wife, admitting: ‘I don’t have that same clock ticking’
I knew how important it was to stay active during pregnancy, not only for my body, but also for the health of my baby, the birth and postnatal recovery.
‘But by week 2 of the sickness and the headaches I finally accepted that it just wasn’t something I could do.
‘James took over the daily dog walking and I didn’t train throughout December or January.’
Chloe continued: ‘By week 14 I eased back into my normal training again. I didn’t go back into training with any ironclad decisions not to do anything.’
Detailing how she’s let her own body guard her in her training, she went on: ‘Every woman, body, and pregnancy is different. Instead, I decided to feel out what my body did and didn’t like. After nearly ten years of training, I’m pretty good at reading my body now.
Fitness: The fitness expert, recently detailed how her pregnancy has affected her training (pictured earlier this month)
